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I have no problem with porn, in fact I watch a lot. Caligula is still a terrible movie.

Mr Pixies wrote:Maybe it's all the dicks, people like tits, but not dicks, once there's a visible dick, it's porn and porn is the opposite of art. I thought the film was great, but I like extravagant weirdness and naked people. Too many of the wrong people saw it I guess.

Huh? Full-frontal male nudity = porn? That's ridiculous.

malcolm1980 wrote:Huh? Full-frontal male nudity = porn? That's ridiculous.

No, I meant that others see a dick and think porn, though Caligula has hardcore sex, that's what puts most off from it.

Any movie + hot lesbians = better movie.

If Michael Bay were to cast Scarlet Johansson and Megan Fox as lovers getting involved in _____________, which eventually leads to the fate of the world resting on their sweaty post-coital shoulders, culminating in the two of them making out passionately as they defeat ___________ and make witty remarks to the macho male supporting actor who doubted them all along, It would be the best movie ever.

the blanks can be any cliche situation followed by any cliche bad guy.

I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to confess that film fantasy...

I like the way you think.

malcolm1980 wrote:Huh? Full-frontal male nudity = porn? That's ridiculous.

It is ridiculous, but it appears to be a common perception in America - not least within the portals of the MPAA.

Didn't A Room with a View have to be released unrated because they just couldn't handle the alfresco bathing scene? (In Europe, it got a PG or equivalent pretty much everywhere, and quite rightly)

SncDthMnky wrote:Any movie + hot lesbians = better movie.

If Michael Bay were to cast Scarlet Johansson and Megan Fox as lovers getting involved in _____________, which eventually leads to the fate of the world resting on their sweaty post-coital shoulders, culminating in the two of them making out passionately as they defeat ___________ and make witty remarks to the macho male supporting actor who doubted them all along, It would be the best movie ever.

the blanks can be any cliche situation followed by any cliche bad guy.

I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to confess that film fantasy...

Didn't they do that in Bound?

It is amazing how suddenly that fantasy could be soured. For instance hearing two plump middle-aged female workers in my office talking excitedly about the double-ended dildo scene from Tipping The Velvet was probably the most disturbing experience I've ever had in my life! Sadly it put me off viewing lesbian sex scenes for months!

Nice to see from the Mobius forum thread that Nick Redman will be sitting in with McDowell on his commentary track and Alan Jones will be with Mirren! Two of my favourite commentators talking about this infamous film with the two stars has made this even more essential!

Image will be getting most of my attention that month, what with the third Treasures From American Film Archives set being released around the same time!

$27.99 pre-order at Amazon.

looks like Image is re-releasing it in single disc form as well.

only 14.99. can someone try and find out if the single disc has the commentaries? if so, I'll just go for that one.

I watched this movie twice: once for the porn (hey, I was twenty and too scared to buy 'real' porn) and the second time for the story. Ummm... not a good movie. Malcolm McDowell is good (surprised?), but the rest of the film I could do without.

I think it's one of those films you're supposed to see if you consider yourself a cinephiliac, but its reputation is vastly overrated, even if it might have been shocking at the time. It's just a poorly told story, generally poorly acted, and the porn doesn't really serve the plot. Granted, the whole point of porn is that it's usually plotless, but the way the explicitly pornographic elements were used in this film failed to generate any arousal (intellectual, aesthetic, or physical) for me. Give me Cheerleader Nurses any day!!!!

The McDowell and Mirren commentary tracks are only available over the pre-release version, which is the second disc of the multi-DVD release. As far as I know, this version is not going to be released on its own. Even though the Mobius thread is linked a few posts back, here's what I had to say about the set (slightly updated from my original post):

There is no "edited version" of CALIGULA included in the multi-disc set; it will contain a new hi-def transfer of the uncut theatrical release version taken from a newly-found interneg (Disc 1) along with a never-before-seen pre-release edit that eliminates the Guccione footage, restructures to film to conform with the shooting script, and contains alternate Brass-filmed footage, different edit rhythms and previously unseen deleted material (Disc 2). This alternate cut is *not* of workprint quality; it is sourced from a finished print and is radically different than the version we've all seen. The Channel 4 version will not be on the disc, nor will the "R" rated abomination (though the latter is getting a separate DVD release).

The Mirren and McDowell commentaries were recorded separately and will be presented as such, over the pre-release version; writer Nick Redman moderates the Malcolm McDowell commentary and writer Alan Jones moderates the Mirren track. The Ernest Volkman track will be over the theatrical edit and is presented as an interview by Nathaniel Thompson. (Volkman was a writer hired by Penthouse to chronicle the making of the film, and was present on set for the majority of the shoot.)

Disc 3 contains the rest of the supplements. There are two Penthouse-produced Making-Of documentaries that appeared on their home video magazine VHS releases as promotion for the film when it was new; each contains exclusive material. The interview segments are all new and presented separately. Nathaniel Thompson and I took care of the John Steiner (25 minutes) and Lori Wagner (29 minutes) segments, while David Gregory handled the Tinto Brass chat. Disc 3 also contains a ton of deleted scenes, trims, workprint footage, etc. that don't appear in either edit of the feature. Additionally, there's a ridiculously large stills collection including a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff and shots from never finished segments. Trailers and DVD-Rom material (like Gore Vidal's original script) round out the set.

It's a pretty amazing and comprehensive package, especially for the relatively low price, and really dissects the film and its controversy from several perspectives.

Wow! This sounds like a fascinating set. Disc 4 is the CD soundtrack ?

It was going to be the soundtrack CD, with a ton of additional unused cues and alternate recordings, but I'm unsure if it's still included. I'll call the disc's producer later today and try to find out, as it's no longer mentioned on Image's website.

The CD would be the icing on the cake. If it isn't included, surely the MSRP will be reduced, though?

I just checked, and indeed the soundtrack's been pulled. Apparently Penthouse didn't have all the clearances they thought they did...

The price of the set is remaining the same, since the CD was essentially a freebie anyway.

Maybe the 4th disc will be a Wal-Mart exclusive.

David Keyes wrote:But let us not label "Caligula" a bad movie. A bad movie can be jaw-droppingly awful and still have redeeming qualities. Movies like this, however, lack even the simplest merits. It is nasty, repulsive, degrading, stupid, and of all things, invulnerable to any type of criticism.

Beaver weighs in

domino harvey wrote:Beaver weighs in

Before I click on that link, I'm gonna guess: 4 tits and a bare bottom.

EDIT: Whoa! Did I miscalculate.

I can't believe Peter O'Toole didn't do a commentary.

Barmy wrote:I can't believe Peter O'Toole didn't do a commentary.

"Before I was in Venus, I co-starred with a penis"

Just the final nail in the coffin for me not to buy this even for camp value. You could get some real, decent porno for that 28 bucks (or so I'm told).

Matt wrote:EDIT: Whoa! Did I miscalculate.

"Oh my goodness, that man seems to have suffered a very nasty snake bite"

By the way there is a webpage devoted to that lucky fellow! (definitely not safe for work!)

colinr0380 wrote:

Matt wrote:EDIT: Whoa! Did I miscalculate.

"Oh my goodness, that man seems to have suffered a very nasty snake bite"

By the way there is a webpage devoted to that lucky fellow! (definitely not safe for work!)

New thread in the Lists forum:
Most Famous Cocks in Cinema
01. Some guy from Caligula (source: some website about Caligula)

Well, I pre-ordered it with an Amazon gift card and I'm not canceling, even though, looking at the review, I have considered it. While I didn't find the film to be "good", I did find it at times entertaining. McDowell marvelously overacts on a few occasions, and there is marginal camp value. What the hell, I don't own Plan 9 From Outer Space, so I might as well own this.

That DVD Beaver "review" is a joke -- it's been updated several times now; in the original version posted it was obvious the "reviewer" didn't even bother watching the material in question.